(Newser)
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Independent forensic experts will have 90 days starting next month to review crucial evidence linking American student Amanda Knox to the murder of her British roommate. The experts appointed by the appeals court, Stefano Conti and Carla Vecchiotti from Rome's Sapienza University, were formally sworn in at a hearing today, the first of the new year. They will begin their review on Feb. 9 at a university lab, conclude by May 9, and report their findings to the court on May 21.

"This is a key moment," said Knox lawyer Carlo Dalla Vedova. "Today, for the first time, independent experts will be asked to examine the evidence." The legal teams of Knox and Raffaele Sollecito have disputed DNA traces used to back up their convictions and obtained an independent review at the start of the appeals trial. While the review is under way, the appeals trial will continue in court.